Horizontal axis movable eyeset



Nov. 18, 1952 ppou-ro 2,618,100

HORIZONTAL AXIS MOVABLE EYESET Filed Aug. 5, 1949 INVENTOR, flo/vE/wcxrf aum B1 Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HORIZONTAL AXIS MOVABLE EYESET Domenick I ppolito, Glendale, Calif. Application August 5, 1949, Serial No. 108,702

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to dolls, and specifically to eye construction therefor.

The invention has for an object the provision of an eye construction for dolls .of any size, and wherein the eyes are capable. of being turned or revolved, to provide what is generally known as a sleeping doll. So far as the inventor is aware most sleeping doll constructions are expensive to construct, time-consuming and require expert labor to assemble. The present invention is adapted to permit rapid assemblyof a doll, and specifically the eye portions thereof without requiring any special skill on the part of the workman.

A further object is the provision of an'eye construction for dolls, whichiispositive in operation, attractive in appearance, fool-proof, not subject to ready breakage as a result of rough handling, and generally superior to constructions now known to the inventor.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevation of a dolls head, incorporating the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on'the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fi ure 2, the head being .in a sleeping position forzthe doll;

Figure 4 is an expanded Vi w of the eye construction, the ,face part of the head beinsshown in fragment and in section; and

Figure 5 is an expanded view of a modified form of eye construction.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, I have shown a head I which is formed in two parts 2 and 3. These parts are usually joined together by providing both halves of the head with an encircling step-type flange, as shown at 4 and 5, the flanges cooperating to produce the completed head. A head of this type may be formed of various materials, ceramic or plastic, with a suitable means provided for securing the step flanges I and 5 in working relationship.

As shown, the head is hollow, and prior to assembling the two portions, that is, the front and the back together, the eyes are positioned within the front of the head. Accordingly, as is usual practice, the front or face portion of the head is provided with eye openings 6 and 1. Within the head and located between the eye openings is a stud 8. This stud is adapted to be received within opening 9 of a separator 10, intermediately positioned between the eye openings 6 and l. The separator is provided with a pair of wings II and 12, which are curved to conform 2 to the inner curvature l3 of the front of the head. When the wings are secured to the head, the stud 8 is received within the opening 9.

The separator is provided with one or more lugs I4 which extend from the convex surface of said separator, and which lug or lugs are transversely perforated at I 5. A pair of eye members l6 and I! are adapted to be mounted on opposite sides of the lugs. both eye members are of identical construction, one will be described. The eye ball is curved, as shown at l 8, and provided with a pupil at [9. The eye ball in the construction shown may be formed of plastic, metal or other material, and has a curved front surface and a side member 20, which joins with a transverse member 2|, connecting with the side member 20 of the other eye ball. The member .2! is provided with an extension 22, and this extension may carry a small weight 23. In small dolls, and Where the. eye construction is relatively light, the extension 22 has sufficient Weightto rotate the eye balls when the eye balls are secured to the separator. The side 20 of each eye member is perforated as shown at .24. The spacing between the eye members is such that the side members 29 will lie on opnOsite sides of the lug or lugs [4. When the perforations l5 and 24 are aligned, a pin 25 may be passed through the perforations for securing the eye members to the separator.

It will be noted that the stud 8 is elongated in form, as is likewise the opening 9. Thus, after the eye members have been pinned to the separator, an adhesive is applied to the wings ll and I2, and the whole assembly secured to the dolls head. The stud 8, upon entering the opening 9, will correctly position the eye balls with relation to the eye openings 6 and I.

That form of the invention shown in Figure 5 follows the same construction as shown in Figure 4, with the exception that the eye balls are separate and not interconnected. Thus, each eye ball, which in the showing of Figure 5, is in the form of a hollow semi-hemisphere, as shown at 26, is provided with a tab 21, to which there may be attached a small weight 28. Such a construction may include a tab at 29 in alignment with the tab 21. The eye ball is provided with diametric perforations 30 and 3| whereby through means of a pin such as shown at 32, the eye ball may be secured at one side of the separator, which may take the same form as shown in Figure 4. The separator in Figure 5 is provided with a single perforated lug 32 with the opening 33 entering said lug.

the construction shown,

As before, the separators are provided with wings 3t and 35, which permit the separator to be secured to the rear wall of the face of the head. The construction shown in Figure 5 allows independent movement of the eye balls, which is sometimes desirable, particularly if the child wishes to close one eye, as if the doll were winking.

In some adaptations of the invention, I have found it expedient to provide short extending tabs 36 and 37, extending outwardly from each eye ball, to limit rotative movement thereof upon contacting the wall of the head. This assures that each eye ball will at all times move correctly within the head for either an awake position of the eyes, or for the so-called sleep position.

The operation, uses and advantagesof the invention are as follows:

The dolls head is colored to render the same life-like in appearance, and each eye ball of the invention is likewise properly shaded as to color to simulate natural eyes. To this end the outer surface of the eye ball is colored with the iris pointed in blue, brown, or some gradation of color, at a certain position relative to the eye ball, whereby when the doll is in upright position, as illustrated in Figure 2, the pupil and iris will be visible through an eye opening, and when the doll is in a reclining position, the pupil and iris will move from said eye opening to present the colored surface of the eye ball, which surface is usually pink, corresponding to the natural color of eyelids. This is, of course, a common expediency.

Taking that form of the invention shown in Figure 4, an operator assembles the spacer between the two eye balls and secures the same together by means of the pin 25 passed through the perforations l5 and 24. The lug 8 is within the opening 9, there being means applied to the inner surface of the doll head and to the wings I l and I2 for securing the parts together. The opposite sides of the lug or lugs 14 fit loosely between the sides 20 of both eye balls, and therefore guide the eye balls in their rotative movement on pin 25. Either the auxiliary weight 23 or the weight of tab 22 is sufficient to rotate the eye balls from the position of Figure 2 to that of Figure 3. In the eye balls will rotate a certain amount, and then stop when tab 31 contacts the inner surface of the head, and the same is true when the head is held upright, as shown in Figure 2, the tab 36 contacting the inner surface of the head, and stopping rotativemovement. This correctly positions the iris and. pupils of the eyes with respect to the eye openings when the doll is in the so-called awake position.

I have found that auxiliary weights, such as shown at 28 or 23 may be dispensed with, as it is evident that the weight of the eye ball will cause it to rotate on pin 25 or pin 32 when the eye ball is eccentrically mounted thereon. This is particularly true when the iris of the eye, together with the pupil, is in the form of a small ball, as shown in Figure 5 at 38.

I claim:

An eye construction for dolls comprising a longitudinal supporting extension having a front face conforming to the curved contour of the interior of a doll head between the eye openings and secured thereto, said front face having an opening snugly receiving a centering stud that projects inwardly from the engaged portion of the doll face, an intermediately positioned rearwardly bowed lug on the rear face of said extension, and a unitary eye ball structure including a pair of spaced eye ball members interconnected by rearwardly extending parallel side walls disposed directly adjacent and paralleling the sides of said bowed lug of the supporting extension, said side walls connected at their rear edges over the bowed lug, and means pinning the parallel side walls of the eye ball members and bowed lug of the supporting extension together to allow rotative movement of the'eye ball members.

DOMENICK IPPOLITO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,374,212 Marks Apr. 12, 1921 1,582,364 Wisch Apr. 27, 1926 1,805,085 Grubman May 12, 1931 1,897,848 Konoif Feb. 14, 1933 1,995,537 Dunner Mar. 26, 1935 2,546,682 Wilhelm Mar. 27, 1951 

